Nature-Based Infrastructure Consultant at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The consultant’s research and inputs are expected to cover the following:    

• Introduction to the topic of NbI, including key concepts and functions of NbI.  
• Examples of service delivery through NbI in different sectors and ecosystems, and identification of the types of services and sectors most relevant for decent work in NbI.  
• Discussion of NI specific issues that may have implications for decent work outcomes, e.g., integration of NbI with other types of infrastructure, the timeframes required for service delivery through NbI, and comparison between NbI and other types of infrastructure solutions. 
•  Identification and description of the different types of work involved in planning, delivering and operating NbI across different phases of the infrastructure lifecycle.  
• Identification of the skills needed for performing the identified types of work.  
• Barriers to decent work creation through NbI and recommendations on how to address the barriers.   
• Identification of two case studies to illustrate decent work in NbI.  
• The examples and case studies provided should, to the greatest degree possible, reflect geographic diversity in the use of NbI, both in terms of the types of landscapes and ecosystems where they are deployed, as well as the socioeconomic context (i.e., examples from both the Global North and South). 
• In addition, the chapter should address the differences in the scales of NbI, both micro-scale NbI (e.g., green wall) and landscape-scale (e.g., watershed protection).    

Expected outputs:    

• First draft of Chapter 3 of the Decent Work in NbS Report (electronic submission)  Second draft of Chapter 3 of the Decent Work in NbS Report (electronic submission)  Third draft of Chapter 3 of the Decent Work in NbS Report for peer review (electronic submission)  Final draft of Chapter 3 of the Decent Work in NbS Report that is ready for professional editing and layout (electronic submission)  Performance indicators:   Quality of outputs  Timely delivery of outputs  Regular communication with the chapter co-author(s) and the project team to address reviewers’ comments and revise the written inputs as necessary

Qualifications/special skills

• Post Graduate Degree (Masters level or above) in international affairs, environmental science, environmental management, environmental governance, economics, social science or related field. 
• A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.  
• A minimum of four years of research experience related to nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, and sustainable and resilient infrastructure, is required.  
• Demonstrated expertise in the spatial, socio-economic, and environmental contexts for NbS implementation, and the science and challenges surrounding NbS, is required.  
• Experience in quantitative analysis, conducting literature reviews, and developing high-quality knowledge products is required.  
• Experience working as part of a research team is desirable.  
• Experience working in an international, multi-cultural setting is desirable.